Doing what you love?

T

Truffles

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Apr 20, 2009
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Watching Steve Jobs' Standford commencement has thrown me into a bit of an existential head fuck this evening with his message about finding what it is you love to do, and spending your life doing it with excellence.

It makes me wonder why I'm sitting here, procrastinating responding to an RFP for my day job, procrastinating filling a big order for my ecomm site, etc. And the only conclusion I can draw is that I don't love what I do.

I truly don't give a shit about any of it.

I have relationships with the people I work with and don't want to screw them, but at the end of the day, the team I manage, and the security my job offers for my standard of living are the only thing keeping me there. I'm building up my own business efforts on the side, but I realized I'm not even doing something I'm truly passionate about there either. Its just a way to break free from a day job that I spend too much time in. There's got to be a better way to approach this...right?

So I guess I'm wondering, for all that we joke and all the shit we talk, and all the ballin', how many of you have truly found something that you love doing? If you are one of the lucky few, what is it about it that you love so much? I find it hard to believe that anybody has a true love for designing lead-gen forms, building flogs, or slinging berries.

But seriously--has anybody here truly found what it is that they love to do in life, and what they want to dedicate the rest of their lives to doing? Would love to know what it was for you and how you came across it.

I'm sure the more immature rank and file will attempt to have their fun with this thread, but I don't care--not one iCent. Thank you in advance to those who actually get what I'm talking about and who don't mind humoring my feeble late-night attempt to reconcile some thoughts by sharing their own experience in what is perhaps the most random place on the internet for this sort of discussion.
 


I'm only 21 so bear with me...

But my chief aim in life right now is to stack as much money as possible with direct response. I really do love offers, copy, premiums, etc. and not just because of the money but because it all ties in with psychology.

I don't know how old you are or how much you make, but the way I look at it is this:

To be able to have the freedom to do anything you want, you obviously need to be self employed and in most cases make a good amount of money. So while you are making your money, start searching for your real passion on the side dude.

Explore books, read about successful people in completely different industries. Do you live in the city? Then take regular trips out to the country and just think.

Most people don't really "think" throughout their entire lives. You need to start exploring the world and like I said earlier a great way to start while you are still stacking paper is via books, documentaries, vacations, etc.

But most importantly you need time to think and use your imagination. Once you start exploring different things, take time at night or during the day when it is completely quiet and just think about whatever comes to it.

Drift off and let anything come in. You'll be surprised what kind of ideas will pop up.

I hope you find what you're looking for and don't worry if it takes some time because it will come to you once you start looking.
 
There's more ways to make money online than just slingin' debt leads or berries. Find a few topics you truly enjoy and are passionate about, make authority sites around them, and find a way to monetize that.
 
You talk about freeing up time from your day job. What drives you to free up time? The answer is probably so you can do shit that you really enjoy. I want to have more time for fitness, more time for doobies and golf courses. I also love to strategize. The best way to make a living from this passion is business.

Having also watched that speech in its entirety this evening, I think jobs was really aiming at closet entrepreneurs with that statement. It is a fire that is in a select few, but you have to realize that a lot of these entrepreneur types spend their whole lives working at a desk to provide for their family, never taking the plunge and following their true dreams.
 
I'm happy doing what I do. Writing is my passion, I've been doing it since I was a kid and my dream has always been to write sci-fi/fantasy/mindfuck novels. I make money freelance writing and writing for my own blogs and websites (in niches that I have genuine interest in), and whenever I get free time I work on my fiction. Even when I'm just writing articles for clients, it's more experience under my belt and it makes me that much more adept with the English language, and that carries over into my fiction. It's a good life, I have clear goals and I'm progressing towards them every day. I really can't complain at all, besides the fact that college just seems to be getting in my way and wasting my time more than educating me.

Re-evaluate what's important to you and what your passions are, implement the things you love to do into your work and you'll find it much more rewarding.
 
Yes, I absolutely love sitting behind a computer by myself 10 - 16 hours a day, typing source code, dealing with customers, etc. Wouldn't have life any other way.

Seriously though, 99.8% of the people out there don't end up doing what they love. However, I can say, I do like being able to wake up, and say, "Hey honey, what are you doing for the next few days? Want to maybe head out to that nice beach resort 800kms away for a few days? I could see a change of scenery.", then 15 minutes later be out the door. Having that type of freedom in life is quite nice.
 
Quoting myself from a different thread that is similar, seemed to get read well I got a lot of +1's just shooting from the hip/memory lane in my xx years doing this shit:

*32 years old now.

*Started a webdesign/media company at age 19, loved it, then within 5 years grew to HATE it and most clients and my daily media whore routine more than I ever thought I would. Put budgets and timelines around something you love (and throw in horrible revision processes, big clients with many points of contact/decision makers), and it gets nutty.

*Was almost bought out, instead joined a media group here in Tdot for six figures, two years later (I still kinda enjoyed the job, my own schedule, no conflict with my own media company, I got cushie). By then I dumped all my savings into a huge house, bimmer in the driveway, thought I was happy... .. D day came on my day off "ring ring... Norb, we don't need you anymore" < Almost just like that.

*5 years of living off my small fortune and selling my home at the right time, bored, had money, no desire to chase clients anymore, no desire to work for anyone no matter how much $, I lost my biz by getting too comfy, and outsourcing started taking off killing my shit even more. Was in quite the rut.

*Started finally saying no to clients, started my own product line after a short fast sting as an aff. I specifically remember thinking "It fucking CAN'T be this easy? I made a quick ap/ebook/audio/video/whatever, brand it, put it through clickbank or a cpa, and bank?" < Seemed mickymouse'ish compared to doing campaigns for big tier 1's or national/intl stuff... Started making my own offers and made another small fortune, finally breaking away from clients for good, and making big $.

*Two years later, just like OP - money in the bank again, this time i'm in control of everything, offers, aff's, people banging on my door to partner w/me, but I grew to HATE the niches (bizop, forex, weight loss, I can market anything I guess, so wtf am I doing just looking for money, I haz some now).

*Again just like OP - I pressed the reset button, sold off gray inventory, got rid of sites I grew to hate (or automated them), and started some soul searching "k, it's been like 11-12 years of this shit now, I can design, publish, make offers, I haz a forum with 5K aff's, 35+ offers now, hmmm I'm happy but wtf do I want out of this now".

*Even thought about selling literally my whole slate, and starting over with something big and fantastic or taking another 5 year hiatus.

It does sound crazy to those that a) haven't hit it big at least once yet b) Can't get enough money as it makes you more happy somehow c) haven't lost it all at least once yet to realize the money is a side effect of something greater. Literally chasing money your whole life isn't what you want deep down inside even if right now day in and day out you live, eat, breathe, and shit 'make moniez'. There WILL be a time when you say 'enough, now what' or at the very least question what it's all for.

fucking TLDR!

I found my passion for music again, and launched a new product line that has finally had a few sites stick (as an advertiser), and I now spend my days making music, graphics, sound kits, and spending very little time thinking about money (because it's coming in, and the offers are converting well, and I enjoy it). It's now easy to be passionate about the next campaign/project vs. kinda hating it or questioning the value aspect, moral aspect, means to an end aspect, etc.

Sounds gay but look in your heart/soul, figure out wtf you'd love to be doing day in day out, it's oversimplifying it but in the end my goal is still happiness, and that isn't always a money thing. Do stuff you love everyday that does indeed provide value and where you're in control of it all = much easier to find both money and happiness/be passionate about your routine for 12 more years.

N.
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